Silent Film, Donna Kornhaber
Silent Film, Donna Kornhaber
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Silent Film
A Very Short Introduction

Author: Donna Kornhaber

Narrator: Emily Beresford

Unabridged: 3 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/01/2020


Synopsis

Encompassing the thirty-five year span between the initial development of film technology in the mid-1890s and the adoption of synchronized sound in the late 1920s, the cinema's silent era is both one of the most important epochs of film history and one of the most misunderstood within the popular imagination. In this brief, engaging account, these formative decades come vividly to life.

Covering the full scope of the silent era—from the invention of motion pictures to the rise of the Hollywood studios—and touching on films and filmmakers from every corner of the globe, Silent Film: A Very Short Introduction offers a window into film's first years as a worldwide entertainment phenomenon. From groundbreaking early shorts to the masterpieces of the cinema's classical era, from street-corner nickelodeons to grand movie palaces, from slapstick to the avant-garde, the silent era's artistic abundance and global variety are here put on full display. In the story of silent film, we see not just the origins of a new culture industry but also a legacy of imagination and innovation that continues to profoundly influence the cinema even to this day.

About Donna Kornhaber

Donna Kornhaber is associate professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of Nightmares in the Dream Sanctuary: War and the Animated Film, Wes Anderson: A Collector's Cinema, and Charlie Chaplin, Director.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Андрій on May 07, 2023

Перевіряю звук, щоб подякувати ЗСУ та усім, хто допомагає ЗСУ. Далі буде про німе кіно, невелику книжечку про яке прочитав в оксфордській серії «Дуже короткий вступ». Купив електронну копію і читав переважно у дорозі, а в другій половині книжки скористався порадою Алекса Роулінгза з книжки «Заговори......more

Goodreads review by Alyssa on August 14, 2022

Absolutely fascinating, and written in such an engaging way that never felt stuffy or dry. I could feel how much the author enjoys and cares about silent film while I read and it made me want to watch many of the films mentioned in the book!......more

Goodreads review by Zachary on February 14, 2025

This was a really helpful introduction, covering key eras, movements, features, and names. Super organized and clear. My two favorite things about the book: 1. A substantial section devoted to global cinema where the author runs through various countries and their relationship to silent film. 2. Kornha......more

Goodreads review by Nick on April 11, 2024

This book was a great overview of the silent era in film history! I was glad to see it encompass a global understanding of the period, as well as an intersectional perspective, primarily highlighting women filmmakers but also people of color and queer people. I was fascinated to learn how prominent......more